Fielder lifts Tigers over Reds

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Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Prince Fielder made sure the Tigers didn't
lose another game with Justin Verlander on the mound.

Fielder's go-ahead RBI single in the eighth provided the difference, as
Detroit topped Cincinnati, 3-2, in the second of three interleague games at
Great American Ball Park.

Fielder also homered in only the Tigers' fourth win in 12 games.

Verlander avoided his fourth consecutive loss, laboring all afternoon with 127
pitches in six innings. He gave up two runs on six hits and three walks with
nine strikeouts.

"Early in the game I tried not to do too much and just tried to blow it by
them," Verlander said. "I just tried to continue to pitch and get them out."

Brayan Villarreal (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and Jose
Valverde worked the ninth for his 11th save.

Todd Frazier had a two-run single for the Reds, who have lost four of six.
Sean Marshall (1-3) allowed Fielder's eighth-inning single and took the loss.

There were a couple bright spots for Cincinnati on Saturday, one being Joey
Votto's career-best 15-game hit streak. He had a double and two intentional
walks and is hitting .547 during the stretch.

The other was Bronson Arroyo, who lasted seven innings without walking a
batter, yielding only two solo homers and five hits.

Marshall opened the eighth by inducing two groundouts, but Brennan Boesch kept
the inning alive with a double off the wall before Miguel Cabrera was issued
an intentional walk.

Fielder lined a single to center, and Boesch was able to slide under Ryan
Hanigan's tag to score the go-ahead and winning run.

"Marshall, whose been lights out against lefties, leaves a curveball up on
Boesch. I certainly don't want to face Cabrera, and (Marshall) had quite a bit
of success against Prince," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He left a slider
over the middle of the plate, and Prince got a hit."

Ramon Santiago accounted for the Tigers' other run with a solo homer in the
second before Fielder made it 2-0 in the fourth. In the home half, Votto
doubled when Delmon Young lost a fly ball in the sun, moving Chris Heisey to
third with no outs.

Verlander retired the next two hitters without allowing a run, but walked Ryan
Ludwick before Frazier's two-run single tied the game.

Game Notes

It was an unsuccessful return to the lineup for Austin Jackson, who went 0-
for-4 in his first game since May 16. He had been out with an abdominal
injury...Verlander lost four straight games twice in 2008. This was only the
fourth time in his career where he had lost three straight...The Tigers, who
are playing their first series at Great American Ball Park, notched their
first win in Cincinnati since 2001.

66roots

DETROIT: 3CINCINNATI: 2Final

Jun 9 7:17 PM

66roots

Prince Fielder single to center scored Brennan Boesch with two out. On the play, Miguel Cabrera advances to third. Runners on first and third and Delmon Young due up.